What seemed, at first, to be very serious report to the Sooke RCMP ended up with a humorous resolution on Wednesday afternoon when officers responded to a report that a human body that had washed up on the rocks at Beechy Head in East Sooke.

The body, it seemed, was clad in an orange survival suit, but because of rough water conditions, the boater that spotted the body was unable to get a close look.

Enter the RCMP.

Officers hiked to the scene, presumably expecting the worst, and found what Sooke RCMP Staff Sgt. Jeff McArthur described as “the cold and unresponsive body” of a Department of National Defense training mannequin.

It’s assumed that the dummy had gone adrift during a training exercise

An apparently relieved RCMP had a little fun with the situation and put out a press release that described the dummy as “suffering only minor abrasions and acute barnacle growth on the left hand and forearm, but in good condition otherwise.”

On a serious note, McArthur said that the mistake was understandable as the dummy looked very real, particularly when viewed from a distance. He expressed his gratitude to the sharp-eyed boater who first the sighting.